Donate a fiver to help hospice hit £1m target

Hastings and Rother residents are being urged to donate to the St Michael’s Hospice £1m Phoenix Appeal, launched last week to help with refurbishment costs following last summer’s devastating fire.

Though raising £1m may seem like a daunting task, chief executive Celia Pyke-Lees says if everyone in the area donated just over £5 everyone would reap the rewards and make St Michael’s Hospice truly fit for the future,

“We are calling out to Hastings and Rother residents and businesses to get involved and support our Phoenix Appeal,” she said.

“Supporting your local hospice couldn’t be easier.

“We worked out if each of the 183,000 people living in Hastings and Rother donated just £5.47 we would reach our £1m target!”

The Phoenix Appeal will allow the hospice to provide the best facilities for patients, their family and friends, staff and volunteers and ensure it is able to meet the end-of-life care needs for the next generation.

Construction on the rebuild started in January this year and work is due to be completed in the late autumn. Celia says the total refurbishment costs are estimated to be in the region of £4m.

“We are taking the opportunity not only to repair the areas damaged by the fire, but also to carry out some much longed for alterations to the hospice,” she said.

“While the hospice insurance will cover the costs for repairing the fire damage – approximately £1m – we need to provide the funds for the additional works.

“We have been very fortune in recent years and built up our level of reserves, which every charity is required to maintain, this will allow us to contribute £2m and we will aim to raise the remaining £1m through our Phoenix Appeal.”

The refurbishment project includes: full provision of private en-suite bedrooms for patients over the ground and first floors and improved access and mobility for patients.

It will also include refurbishment of the reception, conservatory and coffee shop, installation of a new kitchen, catering for in-patients and people supported in day services and improved staff and volunteer facilities.